page_title: SCA armoured combat
section_title: Competitions
hierarchical_section_title: SCA armoured combat / Competitions
caption_attribution_description: English: Main Field Battle at the Pennsic War
context_page_description: SCA armoured combat, or informally heavy combat, is a combat sport developed by the Society for Creative Anachronism in which participants in protective body armour compete in mock combat, individual tournaments inspired by forms of historical combat, and tournament combat practiced in medieval Europe. Groups also compete, under supervision, in group battles which may approximate historically real combat, using SCA approved safe weapons. Combats are performed under the watch of marshals to maintain safety. It is variously considered a combat sport, contact sport, or a form of martial art. Neither individual combats nor group battles are choreographed to any predetermined result.
  The slang term "heavy" is used to distinguish this from "light" combat, now almost exclusively referred to as rapier combat.
  Participants use armour and weapons specified by SCA standards and rules. Weapons are made from rattan rather than steel for added safety. All major vital points of the body must be covered by armour.
context_section_description: SCA tournaments are held regularly in which two combatants fight each other, using a number of advancement systems so that a single winning fighter is decided.  A special case of this is the regular Crown Tournament in each SCA kingdom held to choose the king and queen who will "rule".
  Melee tournaments can include a number of combatants taking to the field. Especially at large events such as Pennsic War, combats may include wars, where large number of participants can take the field at once, and these may include archers, artillery and fortifications. Sometimes, novelty combat may occur, where for instance, the fighters take the form of chess pieces.
caption: Pennsic field battle in 2006
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